The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-26

to die at any time. My death may come in
three months, and it may not occur for
years. Until it does come | will continue
my labors. You ask me if my history is
completed. | reply that | will continue to
write at it as long as | live. | have kept up
with the times, and have fair knowledge
of the various administrations. Ny library
as you say, is perhaps the finest private
library in the country, and have vast
amount of material which can be found no
where else.n
here asked him as to his manuscripts,
and he showed me some of the hundreds of
bound volumes which he has gathered from
all parts of the world. While in England
Holland, France and Germany he was given
access to the State archives of each country,
and, at great expense, had all matters re-
lating to the history of America copied.
They are now bound, and the collection is
| the only one of its kind in existence. He
has also copies of thousands of letters of the
Presidents and statesmen of the past. Jack
son gave orders when he died that Bancroft
should have access to all his papers, and
there are numerous letters of jackson in ex-
istence testifying to this fact. Last year
Mr.. Bancroft paid visit to Nashville, and
he had President Folks papers copied for
him. These are now bound in red leather,
and they form set of volumes as large as
a good sized encyclopedia. He has papers
of Van Buren,, and, in fact, everything
worth having that relates to the history of
the United States.
His library contains somewhere between
$4,000 and 10000 volumes The books are
two rows deep upon the shelves, and several
large connecting rooms are walled with
them. 1t is supposed that he sis at work
upon a biography of Polk, and, although
have not this information directly from him,
a remark which he made about Polk leads
me to believe that it is true. He told me
to-day that he considered Polk one of the
greatest of the Presidents, and added that
he was very systematic worker He re-
ferred to the great things accomplished in
Folks administration as to the financial
system of the country, the annexation of
Texas and other matters. He told me that
he had known personally all the Presidents
since John Adams. He was well acquainted
with President Adams, and upon my asking
him as to Adams vanity-I referred to the
saying of Ogle Tayloe, wherein Tayloe
states that Adams had once reproved a
friend who, in conversation, had used the
term, George Washington and John
Adams" saying, "You should not say
George Washington and John Adams,
but John Adams and George Washing
tOn,' for it was John Adams who made
George Washington" To this Mr. Bancroft
replied emphatically: THAT story is not a
true one. | know that John Adams had a
high opinion of Gen. Washington, and
know that he could not have made such a
remark about him. He may have been
vain, and he undoubtedly had full appre-
citation of his greatness, but he never made
such remark as that He was a very In
dustrious man, was brave and fearless, and
| in his letters and papers he speaks very
highly of Gen Washington"
L here asked a question as to John Quincy
! Adams, and Mr.. Bancroft remarked that he
was one of the few men of whom John
Quincy Adams had always spoken well in
| his diary. He considers the second Adams
a great man, and gives him full credit for
the ability and knowledge which he I'M
| doubtedly possessed. He thinks. however,
| that he would have made better President
had he not spent so much time abroad, and
referred to his long foreign career and his
| foreign education as somewhat warping his
| judgment of American matters.
| In this interview l was surprised at the
strength, both mental and physical, exhib-
tied by Mr.. Bancroft. During it he referred
to several books in his library, and his mo-
tions were as active as those of a boy. His
voice was strong and his eyesight seemed to
be good. He takes his long rides daily, and
| he told me that it did not tire him. He stays
out on horseback from one to three hours
daily and is quite a pedestrian. He once
told me that he thought he could make
thirty miles day without firing, and as
looked at his wiry frame to-day did not
doubt that he was able to do as he said.